The InnovatED Blog

Over the last week, nominees for the have been submitting their applications for the Michigan Charter School Teacher of the Year award . I have had the opportunity to read through many of them and I have seen a common theme running through the applications – empowered teachers.

In 1970, Robert K. Greenleaf, an AT&T executive, coined the phrase servant leadership. Since that time, many people have tried to define servant leadership. But what does it mean to be a servant leader and how can servant leadership impact a classroom and school?

A simple definition of servant leadership involves leading others from a mindset of placing the needs of the organization and the needs of people over the needs and desire of the leader. This is not easy. Many times ego gets in the way of true servant leadership. However, an organization that has a servant as a leader can have wide-reaching impact on the effectiveness of its employees.

School leadership looks different in every school building you visit. From charter to traditional public to the private sector; titles vary and so do responsibilities. But exactly what role should building leaders take on?

The title 'principal' came from the notion of a
principal teacher. Education hasn't changed much over the decades as we moved from the industrial age, our system looks quite similarly structurally as it did 100 years ago. At that time a principal position was intended to be the educational visionary of the school.